New Beginnings : August 1973
by AnonHPWriter
Summary: An extension of the New Beginnings world. By request. Warning: this story contains discipline in the form of spanking. No slash.


**August 1973**

"Over an hour late! They are far too old to be acting so irresponsibly!" He paused both with his words as well as with the pacing he had been doing across the parlor floor. He glanced at his wife. A sea of worry had taken over her face in the last hour.

When they had only been fifteen minutes late she had tried to convince herself, as well as her husband, that the boys had just lost track of time.

At thirty minutes she had started trying to convince them that her children had obviously thought that they had agreed on nine thirty for their curfew rather than nine sharp.

It wasn't until they were forty five minutes late that she gave up with making excuses for them and just started fretting over the whole situation.

"What if something has happened?" She asked with tears in her eyes.

"Something _has_ happened," Charles replied angrily. "They have taken complete advantage of us and the rules which we have set."

He began pacing the parlor once more in an attempt to keep his temper under control.

"I promise you Lydia, if they do not walk through that door in the next ten minutes I am going out to find them and they had better hope that I do not succeed."

Lydia frowned at her husband's words. "I understand your displeasure with them but what if something really has happened? What if they are lying hurt somewhere?"

Charles considered her fear for a moment. It was only their second night at the cottage. The boys had begged them for some independence. There was a muggle arcade in town that they had wanted to go to. Charles had suggested that they go the following afternoon, in daylight. The boys however, had been set on going after dinner. They had begged and pleaded and somehow gotten Lydia on their side.

When she had come to him before dinner speaking for their sons, Charles had truly felt that he had no other option than to let them go. They were thirteen after all. Allowing them to go out on their own for a few hours at night was hardly unheard of at their age.

Still, he knew his boys. He had told them over dinner that they could go to the arcade. He had given them each a decent amount of pocket money for their outing. He had also made sure they knew in no uncertain terms that they had best be home on time.

He liked to think that the boys wouldn't disobey his words but then - he knew them. Lydia's fears were catching though. What if something had happened to them? What if they were in some sort of trouble?

"I will take a walk down to the arcade and see if they are there," Charles decided. "Hopefully by the time I am back they will be home safe."

* * *

"Let's try that one next," James suggested as he pulled a muggle bottle rocket out of the bag.

Sirius nodded in excited agreement

They had stayed at the arcade for all of one hour before deciding to use the pocket money that they had been given to buy some muggle fireworks at a little shop in town. The pair of them had seen them the day before when they had went into town with their mum and hadn't stopped thinking about them since.

The following morning they had come up with the plan of asking to go to the arcade, a place they also really wanted to check out. The pair figured they could kill two birds with one stone. It had taken them hours to try and convince James' parents and by mid afternoon they still only had their mum on their side.

James had been insistent that all they needed was his mum. He knew his parents well enough to know that although his dad may seem in charge, she was really the one that made decisions like whether or not they could go out after dinner.

"What time do you think it is?" Sirius asked as he watched James light the bottle rocket with the small lighter they had purchased.

James shrugged as he backed away seconds before the bottle rocket shot into the sky. "Wicked," he breathed before turning his attention to Sirius. "It can't be that late. We left the arcade at seven. It didn't take us that long to buy this stuff and walk back here, maybe eight thirty?"

Sirius looked up at the moon trying to remember what he knew about using it to tell time.

"Why the face?" James asked in a concerned voice.

Sirius' eyes moved from the sky to his best mate. James looked overly worried which was never a good sign. It often meant that he was going to try and make Sirius talk about what he was feeling. Sirius was thankful for the way James was about things like that. He often wasn't so thankful while he was forcing himself to talk about memories that he would rather erase completely but he was always thankful after the fact. He loved James as if he really were his brother.

"What face?" Sirius asked with a smirk. He couldn't tell James that he was worried that they were late. He couldn't explain to him how horrible he felt whenever he disappointed the Potters. It was just too humiliating.

Sirius looked down at the bag of fireworks. "We should set off a big one next." He bent over and reached in the bag pulling out a large firework holding it up for James to see.

James smiled widely as he handed Sirius the lighter.

"We should move further from the dunes," James suggested. He was picturing the firework somehow igniting the grassy area behind them. He could only imagine the trouble that could cause.

Sirius nodded in agreement as he walked towards the ocean with James only a step behind him.

They stood close to the water's edge as James handed the lighter over to Sirius.

Sirius pushed the stick part of the rocket into the wet sand before he began fiddling with the lighter. He hated that he struggled so much with muggle things. His own parents were dead set against anything muggle. His father likely would have knocked him clear across the beach for even touching a muggle lighter let alone muggle fireworks.

James watched his friend as he held his breath resisting the urge to take over. He silently hoped that Sirius would figure it out on his own. Sirius was fascinated by muggle items. He often sat and questioned his dad on how muggle things worked or what their purpose was. James often found the conversations boring but then muggle things had never been off limits to him.

Sirius was concentrating so hard on the lighter and James was watching Sirius so intently that neither of them noticed the large wave that came up and hit them at the knees. James was caught so off guard that he lost his footing and fell onto his bum. Sirius hardly had time to react before a second wave hit him, splashing him well up onto his chest. Seconds later James scrambled to his feet, rushing back up the beach with Sirius only a step behind him.

"Are you okay?" Sirius breathed the words as he eyed his best mate. His eyes once again flashed up to the moon as he tried to get his breathing under control. He was beginning to think it was well past nine.

"Yeah," James nodded. "I'm fine. We can't explain this though." He motioned to their wet clothes as panic rose in his chest. "We should have brought our wands."

"Can't do magic here anyway," Sirius pointed out. A little magic here and there at home was one thing. No one would suspect a thing, they would simply think that Charles or Lydia had done it. Here on the beach though there would be no adults to take the heat.

"If we just wait awhile we might dry off enough to-"

"I think we are already late," Sirius cut him off. His eyes were once again fixed on the moon. Though he hardly enjoyed studying and rarely paid full attention in most of his classes, he did enjoy astronomy. James and Peter often distracted him in the class but he did manage to retain some information and where the moon was in the sky was not a good sign.

"We can't be," James insisted. "Dad said nine, it can't be nine yet."

Sirius gave his friend a sad look. "I think it's well past that. Look how high the moon is."

James glanced up at the sky, an unimpressed look on his face. "You know I don't pay attention in Astronomy."

"How do you have the highest marks in the class then?"

James shrugged in reply. "Dunno." He honestly didn't know. He usually just read over the questions and answered them the best that he could. The strategy seemed to work for him.

"The moon is high," Sirius explained ignoring his best mates explanation. "Higher than it would be at nine. It looks like closer to eleven actually."

James felt his heart beat quicken at the words. "It can't be that late!"

"We should get back," Sirius decided his throat suddenly feeling very dry. He prayed that he was wrong. That somehow it was only nine or better yet earlier than that. He didn't even want to imagine how much trouble they could be in for being late as well as soaking wet.

James nodded suddenly unable to find his voice.

Without speaking another word the two of them hurried up the beach - their quick walking eventually turning into a run. The last of the fireworks were left forgotten.

The pair hit the pavement and kept on running the three blocks to the cottage, slowing to a stop as they approached the front gate.

"Why are we wet?" James asked in a desperate tone. They needed a lie and he knew that Sirius could come up with one far faster than he could.

"We walked home on the beach," Sirius quickly replied as he stole a glance at the house. The lights were on in the parlor. He could have sworn he could see the shadow of someone pacing. "We were too close to the water and got hit by a wave."

James shook his head frantically. "That's no good! We'll get in trouble for being near the ocean this late at night."

"We're already going to be in trouble," Sirius muttered hoping his voice didn't sound as nervous as he felt. He knew that Mr. Potter was fair. He knew that his discipline was nothing like his own fathers. He knew he would be okay. It didn't help him dread what was to come any less though.

"We might not be late," James replied a whine sneaking into his last word.

Sirius ignored the words as he opened the gate. James could hold hope that it was before nine all he wanted but Sirius refused to play along. They were undoubtedly late. Pretending that they weren't wasn't going to fix it.

"Wait Siri!" James' words were a full on whine now. "Why are we all wet?"

"I don't know," Sirius replied swallowing hard. He could feel the tears already burning the back of his throat. He refused to give into them though. He would not cry. Not before they were even in the house.

James could hardly believe the words. Sirius _always_ knew! Sirius could come up with a lie on the spot without batting an eye. They were usually so convincing that James found himself wondering if they were actually the truth.

James followed Sirius through the gate, securing it behind him. "But you need to know."

"We need to get inside before we are even later," Sirius replied as he rubbed his right hand over his left eye in an attempt to stop a tear before it even fell.

"You really think that we are that late?" James asked unable to keep the worry out of his voice as they made their way towards the front door.

Sirius nodded no longer trusting himself to speak as he climbed the three stairs that led to the large front porch.

James grabbed Sirius arm taking a firm grip of his best mate. "Our stories _have_ to match Siri! If he questions us both separately they have to match!"

"There...there was a stray dog...a huge one. It chased us down onto the beach and that is how we got wet. The dog saw something else that caught it's attention and it ran off." Sirius could hardly find it in him to make up any sort of lie.

James nodded. "Yes! And that's why we are late too. We were running from the dog." He let his grip on Sirius' arm go.

Sirius made a face at the words. He was surprised that James was finally giving into the fact that they were likely late. "A dog chased us for two hours?"

James shrugged. "Do you have something better?"

"There isn't a clock in the arcade and we just didn't realize how late it was," Sirius quickly replied swallowing hard at his words. Lying had always come easy to him. With his parents it had to - it saved him from about a hundred beatings over the years. The Potters were the first adults that he ever felt any guilt over lying to. Still, he couldn't explain that to James. He would think he was a right prat if he admitted that he would like to just go inside, tell the truth, and beg for forgiveness. "Any chance he'll understand and we won't be in trouble?" Sirius asked as he reached out for the doorknob. They had only just arrived for their two week stay at the cottage. Sirius hated that the mood of it all was about to change. He hated himself for his part in it. Another hard swallow passed down his throat as James answered.

"Not bloody likely." He paused for a moment before he pushed past Sirius, his own hand forcing Sirius' out of the way on the doorknob. "I'll go first, he's my dad. Maybe I'll be able to calm him down."

Sirius gave James a disbelieving look. He refrained from pointing out that when Mr. Potter was already angry James usually only succeeded in being far too cheeky and making the man angrier yet. He could still feel the tears behind his eyes and he hated himself for not being able to make them go away.

James forced himself to look brave - unwavering. He wasn't about to let Sirius see how nervous he actually was. "At least talk him out of the slipper...maybe." James' felt his ears burn at the words. He wasn't sure why. It wasn't as if Sirius didn't know. It wasn't as if he hadn't seen the slipper disregarded on his bedroom floor when his father had forgotten to take it with him the last time. It wasn't as if Sirius hadn't felt it himself just a month ago when they had for some reason thought taking their brooms out as a storm was starting - after they had been told not to - was a good idea.

Sirius was skeptical that they were going to be able to do any talking at all. If it was as late as he thought it was they were likely well past the talking phase. Thirty minutes late they could likely talk their way out of it. Even forty five minutes late might allow for such a thing. If they were closing in on two hours though their chance was likely gone.

James slowly turned the doorknob and pushed the door open just enough for the two of them to slip inside before he closed it quietly but firmly behind them.

"Oh thank heavens!" The tearful exclamation came causing both boys to jump out the sound of it.

Lydia had been leaning up against the banister in the front hall, watching her husband pace in the parlor. When Charles had returned from the arcade alone her fear had only grown. For the past twenty minutes she had stood there imagining every horrible thing that could have happened to her boys. When she had seen them come through the front door she nearly thought she had imagined it for a moment. It wasn't until the door shut that she believed it were true.

She was across the room in seconds, pulling them both against her into a tight hug. The action causing the pair of them to bump into each other as she did so.

"Hi mum," James said softly instantly feeling like an idiot for his words.

"You are both soaked to the bone," she muttered hugging them a bit tighter when most mums would have pulled away. Seconds later Charles appeared in the hall. "What happened to you two?" Lydia questioned, her face stained with tears.

"I'm sorry," Sirius offered in a soft voice. He hated the idea that she had been crying over them.

James moved a hand carefully poking at Sirius' leg as he hoped it went unnoticed by his parents.

Sirius couldn't find his voice again though. For perhaps the first time in his life he couldn't even remember the lie that he had come up with only minutes earlier. He cleared his throat softly trying his hardest to remember...something about a dog maybe?

"A dog chased us," James said his voice wavering. "Down to the ocean and then -"

"And then centaurs appeared?" Charles questioned in a sarcastic tone from his spot by the parlor entrance. "Followed by a dozen trolls and then Merlin himself who forced you to return home nearly two hours past your designated curfew?"

Lydia turned her head to give her husband a stern look. "Charles," she said in a disapproving tone.

Charles shook his head sadly at his wife. "Absolutely not Lydia. Our son is standing there telling a bold faced lie and I will not stand for it. Not tonight. Not when you have been in tears with worry for the past thirty minutes. Not when we had an agreement that they would be home at nine sharp."

James felt his breath get caught in his throat at the words. "Dad no," he tried his tears already clinging to his eyelashes. "There really was a dog."

Sirius felt his body sag at the words. There was no way in hell either of them were going to believe the lie he had concocted.

Lydia turned her attention back to the boys giving them both a serious look. She wouldn't accuse them of lying. She never had in the past and she certainly did not intend to start now. It was not her way. She had been a mother for for thirteen years and in those thirteen years she could count on one hand how many times she had punished her child and that included scoldings. She was content to leave the discipline to her husband. She was much more content comforting him after and sneaking treats up to him to cheer him up. She had taken on doing the same with Sirius the moment he had landed under her roof.

"Mummmmy," James said in a pleading whine not caring for a moment that Sirius was next to him.

Lydia hugged the boys tightly to her once more before releasing her grip on them and standing. "Charles a word in the parlor please?"

Charles gave his wife an annoyed look before nodding in agreement. Lydia walked past him into the parlor before he raised a finger pointing it first at James and than at Sirius. "Do not move a toe."

Charles walked into the parlor instantly casting a silencing spell around the room. The last thing he wanted was nosey young teenage ears hearing this particular conversation.

"What is it?" He asked the moment the spell was cast.

"I do believe that the story James was trying to tell about the dog is a lie," she started softly.

"You requested that we talk to tell me that?" Charles asked in an exasperated tone. "Honestly Lydia it is late. I would rather get this over with so that we all may get some sleep this evening."

Lydia shook her head looking at her husband sternly. "If you would let me speak instead of jumping all over me...it would do you well to remember that you are not cross with _me_."

Charles demeanor suddenly softened a great deal. "You are right Love, I apologize." He paused for a moment giving her a sad smile. "I am sure I never been so disappointed in them. Nearly two hours late Lydia! And soaking wet to boot. I am sure we will never know the real reason as to why they are either."

"I'm sure that I don't want to know," Lydia said softly as she sat on the couch.

"You are likely on to something there," Charles said with a small grin. "The less we know about what they were up to tonight is probably better."

"Still," she said giving her husband a pleading look. "You won't be too hard on them will you?"

"Nothing more than their cheeky backsides can handle I promise you that." Charles gave his wife a grim grin. "You can't tell me that you feel it is undeserved?"

She shook her head though it pained her to do so. "No. I do not think it is undeserved. However, they are both getting their favorite breakfasts tomorrow morning with plenty of extra bacon and potatoes for both of them."

Charles smiled as he leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead. "I would expect nothing less."

"I don't want this to change the entire tone of the trip either," she said. "This is the last time we will be here this summer before the boys are back at school. I hardly want them sulking about until we are home. Be as stern as you must but please do not let them go to bed without fixing it."

They had visited the cottage a total of three times over the summer but this was the first time the boy's had managed to get into trouble there. In just over three weeks time they would be heading back to Hogwarts and then they wouldn't see them again until the Christmas break. She hardly wanted any of the little time they had together to be spoiled by disciplining them tonight.

Charles nodded in agreement. "I will make sure that they do not go to bed harboring ill feelings. Now let me go deal with them before we are all up well past midnight."

"Leave the silencing spell on," she requested. "I am perfectly content not hearing a moment of what is to come."

Charles gave her a soft grin as he nodded in agreement before stepping back into the front hall pleased to see the boys exactly where he had left them.

"How very irresponsible," Charles lectured sternly as he approached the pair of them.

James blanched at the words as Sirius' head instantly dropped the boy suddenly more interested in his trainers then anything else.

Charles looked down at the small puddle of water around their feet. Suddenly it occurred to him that the pair of them were still soaking wet. He pulled his wand and cleaned up the water at their feet before pointing his wand at each of them drying them completely.

"Dad," James tried at the action. "We really can explain it all. If you would just listen...there really was a dog."

Sirius would have liked to reach out and smack James upside the head. If he didn't shut his trap he was likely going to get them both in even more trouble.

"Do you honestly wish to add lying to your list of misdeeds?" Charles asked in a stern tone, now towering over the young teenagers as he slipped his wand away once more.

Sirius quickly shook his head despite the fact that _he_ hadn't said a word.

"No Sir," James replied in a voice that was hardly above a whisper.

"Upstairs this instant," Charles ordered in a stern voice.

Sirius wasted no time, taking three steps towards the staircase before he paused waiting for James.

"Dad no we-"

"Now James Charles!" Charles took a firm hold of his son's arm and lead him towards the staircase. He did not let go until James was next to Sirius who had rushed over and was now standing on the bottom step. The moment that he released his grip on James' arm, the same hand came down and landed a hard open handed swat to his backside causing James to yelp in response to it. "Go!" He ordered the both of them. "I am right behind you."

The boys wasted no time moving quickly up the staircase. It wasn't until the third step up that Sirius' backside met a similar fate as a hard swat landed without warning.

Sirius swallowed his own yelp, instead giving in to the tears that had been begging to fall for nearly twenty minutes now. The back of his right hand went up hastily trying to brush them away.

Three more steps up, another hard swat hit James by surprise. "Daaaad!" James whined loudly as he ran up two steps in an attempt to get out of the line of fire. His father rarely just swatted him without warning. It had been over a year since he last had. James was mortified that he would do so to Sirius as well - or even in front of him.

Charles did not respond to James' whine, instead swatting Siirus once more causing the teenager to shed several more tears as he too hurried up two more steps.

"You won't even let us explain!" James complained loudly seconds before another swat hit his bum causing him to yelp loudly once more.

"I believe that I tried to let you explain yourselves and you insisted on attempting to lie," Charles said sternly as he swatted Sirius once more. "You will be lucky if you don't find your mouth full of soap this evening."

"Oww - ww," Sirius complained in a soft whine as his breathing hitched on his tears. He hated that he had even whined. He had been working so hard at keeping his displeasure to himself. His bum was already stinging though and he had only been swatted three times.

One last hard swat landed on James' backside as Sirius and James stepped onto the second floor.

"Daddy!" James complained loudly through his tears.

Charles nearly smirked at the way in which his son addressed him. It was a rare occurrence that James slipped and called him daddy rather than dad. It almost always happened when he was punished but usually not until the punishment was over or close to it.

"Into your bedroom, the both of you!" Charles ordered sternly. "I will be right there!"

"Please not the slipper!" James couldn't help but beg causing Sirius to once more wish he could reach out and slap him upside the head. Sometimes he just really didn't know when to shut up!

Charles' eyes narrowed in on his son. "Two hours late!" He said in a low tone. "And then lying on top of that? You are absolutely feeling the slipper tonight - the both of you. Now go!"

The pair wasted no time scurrying down the hall to the room that they were sharing at the cottage.

* * *

"Why didn't you back me up?" James questioned as he shut the bedroom door behind them. He turned to Sirius seeing the tears streaming down his best mates face. Sirius was crying harder than he was.

James silently scolded himself for his words. He _hated_ that he often made the mistake of speaking before he thought his words through. He hated it with random people - he _despised_ when it happened with Sirius. "I'm sorry," he quickly corrected himself. "I didn't mean - you didn't - I-"

"It wasn't going to work," Sirius whispered through his tears. "It was a stupid lie to begin with." His hands traveled to his face as he attempted to brush his tears away. He hated crying - especially in front of others. James was no exception to that. It didn't matter how many times it happened - it was horrible each and every time. He could never get his tears under control in a timely matter and his eyes were always swollen for way too long after.

James shrugged at the words. He didn't want to argue with Sirius that it _could_ have worked. It didn't matter now anyway. He brought his right hand up, wiping a few tears from his cheeks. It was a pointless task. His tears hadn't stopped and he was sure that they weren't going to anytime soon.

A horrible thought suddenly entered James' mind. They were in the same room. His dad hadn't sent them to separate rooms. Surely they didn't mean…

The door opened revealing a grim looking Charles, the slipper in his hand.

"Dad you can't…" James' words were hardly audible through his tears though Charles heard them loud and clear.

"I can assure you young man I can and I intend to do so."

It took Sirius all of a moment to realize what James was protesting. It had nothing to do with the walloping they were about to receive and everything to do with the fact that they were about to be punished in the same room. Sirius was absolutely sure of it. One of them would have been sent somewhere else by now if that wasn't the case. He felt a sob catch in his throat at the very thought.

Charles walked across the room. He took hold of the desk chair and turned it around before raising an arm and beckoning the boys over with a wave of the hand.

"Daaaad noooo," James whined loudly refusing to take so much as a step towards his father.

Sirius, who was already standing in front of Charles, looked back at his best mate.

"Now James," Charles answered the whine in a stern tone.

"Not in the same room," James muttered as he walked towards his father, his hands working at trying to wipe the tears from his face despite the fact that they were still falling.

Charles nearly gave in to the request however he forced himself to ignore the tears and instead shook his head. "If the two of you can disobey together than you can certainly be disciplined together."

James let out a loud sob at the words as he finally moved to stand next to Sirius in front of his father.

"What time did I tell the two of you to be home this evening?" Charles questioned as his eyes darted back and forth between the pair of them.

"Nine," Sirius answered without hesitation. His head was bowed. He was finding it far too hard to look at Mr. Potter. The disappointment on the man's face was enough to make him want to beg for forgiveness and promise to never do anything wrong again.

"Do either of you want to try your hand at telling me the truth about why you are late?"

James considered the question. The events of the night - what he and Sirius had done - rushed through his mind. There was no way he could explain the fireworks. His dad would be furious. Not to mention far more disappointed then he already was.

Charles was met with silence.

"I suspected as much," he nodded his tone suddenly sounding more sad then stern. "Your mother and I care for the both of you very much. Have you any idea how worried we were when you were so late? I walked down to the arcade myself looking for you because your mother was convinced that something horrible had happened to you. Have you any idea how irresponsible the two of you were this evening?"

"I'm sorry," Sirius said in a soft voice.

James however was much more audible, his sobs loud as he apologized.

"Should I allow either of you to go out again after dinner, which I am not sure will happen on this trip, I _never_ want to find either of you arriving home later than your designated curfew. Is that understood?"

Both boys nodded in near unison.

Charles eyed the two of them carefully as he debated on which one he should punish first. James would be more dramatic about the whole ordeal, Charles was sure of that. He would certainly prefer to get that over with first. However, Sirius was likely far more anxious than James was. The child was still unsure of his place. Charles knew that making him wait would likely only hurt the child far worse than any punishment could.

"Sirius," Charles said sternly. He reached out and gently took hold of the boy's wrist pulling him to his side.

Charles went to turn to James and send him to the corner but before he could do so his son was sitting on his bed, his back to him, his shoulders shaking with sobs. Charles instantly decided that where he was, was good enough. There was no point in making the child move.

James hugged his knees tightly to his chest, his arms wrapped firmly around them. He could hear his dad speaking softly to Sirius and his best friend responding but he couldn't make out any of the words.

He truly could not believe that his dad would do this. It was bad enough being walloped but being punished in the same room was horrible. He usually made sure they were in separate rooms. He even set a silencing charm so that no one else could hear. It wasn't fair to just take that away without any warning!

James cringed as he heard the first swat followed by several more. He couldn't hear Sirius crying but he was sure that he still was. Sirius had been crying pretty hard when he had last looked at him. That wasn't going to go away and certainly not when he started getting walloped.

A loud sob passed through James' lips as the punishment behind him continued finally succeeding in causing Sirius' cries to become audible. James wanted to yell at his father to stop but he didn't want to make any noise. He didn't want to remind Sirius that he was in the room.

When the walloping behind him finally stopped James was sure that he had never cried so hard on his life. His throat burned from his tears. His eyes felt like they were swollen out of his head. He was sure that _nothing_ could be worse than what he just experienced. He would have rather been walloped every night for a week - weeks even - than ever hear Sirius punished again.

There was more soft conversation behind him though Sirius' tears remained loud for several long moments before they finally turned to soft sobs.

James' hands went to his eyes, rubbing them harshly as he attempted to stop his own tears. A moment later Sirius was on the bed next to him, lying on his stomach, his face hidden in the crook of his elbow.

James leaned over and placed his hand gently on his best friends back for all of a few seconds before his father spoke his name sternly.

Sirius shut his eyes tightly at the sound of James' name being spoken in such a manner. He knew what his best mate was in for and he absolutely loathed that he was going to be present for it.

He felt James move off of the bed and then heard Mr. Potter speaking to him. He couldn't make out the man's words but he could certainly hear James' perfectly - begging and pleading with the man.

Sirius pushed his face deeper into the thick quilt on the bed. He tried his hardest to think of something else. He attempted to force his thoughts to go to astronomy. He tried to picture the constellations.

The Big dipper...the little dipper...the hunter...the bull...the twins…

The first smack fell and James let out a heart wrenching sob causing Sirius' own shoulders to shake as a whimper passed through him.

The smacking sounds continued though they could hardly be heard over James' bawling and howling.

Sirius slowly moved his arm slightly, his hand now covering his right ear as his other hand moved up and went over his left ear. He scrunched his face up, closing his eyes tighter yet as another sob shook his body. He forced astronomy to fill his mind once more.

The Big dipper...the little dipper...the hunter...the bull...the twins…

When the sounds of the walloping behind him finally came to an end the room was once more filled with the quiet murmurs of Mr. Potter speaking softly and James sobbing loudly.

"Sirius," Charles said in a gentle voice. "Can you sit up for me please?"

Sirius wanted to refuse. He knew what a mess his face was. He knew that he looked like he had been crying for days instead of less than thirty minutes. He couldn't bring himself to disobey however. He respected Mr. Potter far too much to do such a thing. Slowly he rolled onto his back and then sat up, wincing only slightly as his punished bum felt his weight. He carefully scooted over to the edge of the bed, his legs hanging off the side, only inches from James and his father.

Charles waved Sirius over to him, a sad smile taking over his mouth.

Sirius did not hesitate in moving from the bed and standing in front of the man next to James once more.

"I love and care for the both of you so very much," Charles said softly. His right hand moved up and gently touched Sirius' cheek as his left hand went to James' shoulder, squeezing it affectionately. "You cannot put me through what I went through tonight again. Okay?"

Sirius felt his heart catch in his throat at the words. He absolutely hated how disappointed the man looked. "I promise," he mumbled out through his tears. His bum hardly hurt at all anymore - just a slight sting now. His tears now had much more to do with how badly they had behaved.

"We won't," James agreed with a small sob.

Charles nodded before pulling the both of them close to him in a tight hug. "Then we will not speak of this again. Now it is late...the two of you should have been asleep at least an hour ago." He placed a gentle kiss on Sirius' forehead and a moment later on James'. "Into your night clothes and then into bed. Your mum is making all your favorites for breakfast." He gave the boys a small wink.

Sirius nodded in reply unable to keep the small grin off of his face. He was sure that he didn't deserve anyone as wonderful as the Potter's in his life. He only hoped that someday he could repay them for it all.


End file.
